Eleutherius. The Scripture-Bishop Vindicated. A Defence of the Dialogue between Praelaticus and Eleutherius, upon the Scripture-Bishop, or the Divine Right of Presbyterian Ordination and Government: Against the Exception of a Pamphlet, intitled, The Scripture-Bishop Examin'd.

 Bound with: (Thomas Foxcroft). Eusebius inermatus: Just remarks on a late book intitled Eleutherius Enervatus, or an Answer to a Pamphlet, Intituled, The Divine Right of Presbyterian Ordination ... / by Phileluth Bangor, V.E.B.  Boston: Printed for D. Henchman, 1733.

 Two parts in one volume, each with separate title-page.  8vo. 165 x 110 mm., [6 ½ x 4 inches].  [2], 126 pp; [2] 158, [2] pp. (half-title to first part removed). Bound in contemporary sheep, decorated in blind in the Regency style; binding a bit scuffed, joints showing some wear, head of spine chipped but a sound and attractive.  The textblock brown with age but sound was trimmed at top edge affected the headline and page number on a few pages.

Contemporary signature of John Lovell on the title-page; near contemporary inscription on the front free endpaper which reads, "R. B. Lawrence/ in considerations of/ him being one of/ the ? ? of the Holy Catholic Church";  and Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. A very good copy in an original American binding.

Jonathan Dickinson (1688-1747) was born in Hadley, Massachusetts and educated at Yale and out of divinity school took a post in Elizabethtown, New Jersey where he remained most of his career.  During this time, he ministered to both the spiritual and temporal conditions of his congregants and practicing as a physician for the community at large.  He was instrumental in establishing the College of New Jersey in 1741 and was its first president, a post he retained until his death.

Dickinson was an enthusiast for the Great Awakening that swept the colonies in the 1730's and 1740's.  Although he saw the revival as a way to keep Christianity vital, he was wary of a violent tendency of some evangelicals and wrote and preached against it.  His work, the Scripture-Bishop Vindicated is a forceful and influential justification of the need to break with the Philadelphia Presbytery and establish a reform Presbyterian Government that more reflected the religious fervor that was exhibited in the Great Revival.  Dickinson's book was meet with a response with the publication of Just Remarks, a trenchant and didactic apology for the existing governing body of the Presbyterian Church.

Evans, Charles, American Bibliography, 3651/3731 and ESTC W8686 attributing the second part to James Westmore.  Sabin Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 22115 attributing the second part to Thomas Foxcroft.  JT/DSC*